


Ghost Heat

by Mixed_Mooniverse



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Age Difference, Aged-Up Character(s), Badgercereal, Bottom Danny, Breeding, But also, Denial of Feelings, I'm Bad At Tagging, Lust, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mildly Dubious Consent, Older Man/Younger Man, Pompous Pep, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Regret, Sharing Body Heat, The Author Regrets Nothing, Their ship names are weird, danny has an ice core, lust based decisions, older!Danny, slowburn, vlad has a fire core
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:34:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24415216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mixed_Mooniverse/pseuds/Mixed_Mooniverse
Summary: It's Danny's 18th birthday, his day of maturity as both a human and a ghost. However, ghost maturity is a bit different from human maturity. Not only is Danny's core out of control, his body is as well. He is forced to seek help from Vlad, the only other halfa in existence, and the only possible person who might understand what's happening to him.Updates every Friday! (Not Guaranteed)Cross-posted on Wattpad under the name MixedMooniverse! Please leave a vote there! <3 It would mean the world to me.
Relationships: Danny Fenton/Vlad Masters
Comments: 92
Kudos: 348





	1. Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, author here! I put disclaimers before all my works just to clear things up. This is a mature Pompous Pep fic, yes, but there will be plot! This is my first try writing something like this, so criticism is always welcome. However, PLEASE be polite. I'm a beginner writer and I'm pretty excited to start this story!
> 
> Danny is 18 in this story, Vlad is still 40. I've lessened the age gap slightly.
> 
> They are both completely consenting adults. No, it's not pedophilia. No, it's not illegal in any way. This is a complete work of fiction.
> 
> This is my first fanfiction, not to mention first mature fanfiction! I'm a bit nervous to post this. Please feel free to leave suggestions and recommendations in the comments! <3 
> 
> With all that out of the way, enjoy! I hope you'll like my story!

"Happy birthday Danny!" A group of people cheered as Daniel Fenton walked through the door into Fenton Works. Confetti rained down from overhead.

"Woah woah," Danny laughed. "You guys threw me a surprise party?" He slid off his jacket, looking around. There were streamers in the doorway. His friends and family were holding confetti poppers, which they had already set off. Sam and Tucker beamed at him, immediately rushing in for a hug. Jazz stood at the edge, smiling softly.

"Happy 18th, Danny!" Sam exclaimed, tightening her arms around him. "I mean, uh- congrats, I guess." Sam blushed, moving her hands swiftly behind her back. Tucker ignored this, keeping a bone-crushing grip around Danny.

"You're finally an adult, man!" Tucker cheered. "No more rules for you!" Danny let out a wheeze as Tucker crushed the air out of him. He pat him on the back and his grip loosened slightly.

Danny's mother coughed. "You're still under our roof, young man." Jack Fenton chimed in, "Which means you still have chores!" His parents were, of course, still in their brightly colored jumpsuits. Not like they ever changed out of those.

Danny smiled. "Whatever you say, dad. Did you at least remember a gift this year?" He mocked, crossing his arms, and raising a doubtful eyebrow at Jack.

"Of course I did, Danny-boy!" His father hesitated before racing into the basement.Crashing, banging, and yelling could be heard from the basement. Yep, he forgot.

Danny noticed Jazz at last. "Jazz? I thought you had class!" He broke away from Tucker and gave his sister an awkward hug.

"What can I say, my little brother is more important to me than classes." She hugged him back and ruffled his hair.

"No way. You must have had the day off or something. You'd never skip class." He scoffed in disbelief, raising an eyebrow.

Jazz shook her head, grinning. "Nope, I'm serious. There's no way I would miss my little brother's 18th birthday." He gave her another smile before turning to his best friends.

"What's our plan for today, guys? Videogames and raging against the machine?"

Sam and Tuck grinned. "We're in!" They tossed aside their confetti poppers before barreling out the door, Danny in tow. "We'll be back for the party this evening!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The trio spent the day bowling, walking around town, and playing video games. They were lucky enough that ghosts decided not to cause trouble today. Danny had begun shivering slightly throughout the day, but he ultimately ignored it.

By evening, they were back at Danny's house, listening to Dumpty Humpty in his room. Sam was lounging across his bed reading a magazine, Tuck was leaned up against the wall playing a game on his PDA, and Danny was sitting in the middle of the floor.

"Thank you guys," Danny said. "This meant a lot to me." He shuffled, adjusting himself on the floor. "How long have you had this planned?"

"Oh, a couple weeks." Sam stated matter-of-factly. "But we're not done yet!" She hopped off the bed, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him to his feet. She pulled him downstairs to the living room, Tuck lagging behind with an exasperated sigh.

There was an assortment of gifts spread out on the table, some of which were wrapped more neatly than others. He could already tell which one was Tucker's, since it was put together with duct tape. He chuckled under his breath.

"You guys really didn't need to..." He started, "but I'm glad you did!" He hopped onto the couch, waiting for everyone else to arrive. He looked eagerly at his presents, wondering which to open first. Jazz walked in carrying an ice cream cake, Danny's favourite.

Jazz handed slices out to everyone, cutting an extra large slice for Danny. As Danny bit into it, he got another chill down his spine and felt his chest tighten. Weird. He ignored it, figuring it was probably just because of how cold the cake was.

Everyone sang happy birthday in typical, ear-piercing shrieks. This just might be worse than his own ghostly wail. The horrific noise finally ended, signaling the beginning of the present opening.

Danny tore the first one open vigorously. His parents-- well, his mother-- got him Fenton Spray, made for repelling ghosts. He was pretty sure it was just green pepper spray. He chuckled nervously. "Haha... thanks, Mom."

She beamed at him. "You're welcome sweetie! You always seem to be having run-ins with those nasty ghosts, so I made this just for you!" Jack tried to take credit too, but she simply elbowed him in the side, smiling continuously.

He carefully scooted it to the side, where Sam grabbed it and moved it out of the way. He grabbed the next present in front of him, which was... a plastic bag.

"That one's mine, son!" Jack shouted excitedly. "Look inside!" Danny hesitantly opened it. It was... their Fenton Toaster. His dad had just grabbed the toaster. Well, it's the thought that counts, right? At least he got something.

Danny flew through the rest of the presents, thanking everyone as he went. Sam got him a Doomed poster and a Dumpty Humpty CD. Tucker had made him his own personal PDA so he could stay in constant contact. As he opened Jazz's gift, seeing a stack of notebooks, a jolt went down his spine and he shivered.

"Danny?" She asked, concerned. "Do you... not like your gift?"

"No! I mean, yes! I like it, Jazz. I just got weirdly cold for a second." He assured her. He pulled out the notebooks and saw a small, separate bag at the bottom. He opened that as well, and it was full of candy bars. "Pfft, thanks Jazz." He smirked. Danny was trying to ignore the increasing tightness in his chest.

The rest of the night was spent chatting with his friends and watching movies. By midnight, Danny was exhausted. He waved goodbye to his friends as they began their own way home. He trudged up to his room, yawning.

As he crawled into bed, finally prepared to sleep, his core began searing with a freezing pain.

"Fuck!" Danny cried, kicking off his blankets and clutching his chest. He let out a grunt of pain as his core throbbed. He was tearing up by the time the pain began to ebb away. "What the hell was that?" He shivered. He was freezing. Wait. He was freezing?

With all the excitement of the day he hadn't realized what it meant that he was actually cold. He hadn't been cold since he got his core under control. His core was still aching in pain, sending jolts of freezing soreness through Danny's system. He trembled, wrapping himself in blankets.

Whatever was happening, surely it could wait until morning... Danny was exhausted. The pain had dulled down to a throb, allowing him to drift into a somewhat peaceful sleep.


	2. Core Issues

Danny woke up the next morning feeling like he got hit by a bus. He was freezing and his entire body ached. He groaned, groggily wrapping the blankets further around himself.

Of course his alarm went off at that exact moment. Why the hell was an alarm set? Well, there goes the grogginess. Danny swung his feet over the side of the bed and stumbled as he stood up. Why did he feel so... hazy? He blinked, trying to wake up, and scratched at his sore chest.

Right... the issue with his core. What was with that? He lifted his shirt and noticed that his chest was glowing a faint blue. "The fuck?" He murmured aloud. Sure, he's had issues with his core before, but he couldn't remember it ever glowing.

He decided he would check with Frostbite about it. After breakfast, of course. He descended the stairs and headed toward the kitchen. Danny made himself some toaster waffles with the 'new' Fenton Toaster and scarfed them down. He then proceeded to go ghost, flying down to the lab and through the Fenton portal.

Arriving in the Ghost Zone, he immediately set his course for the Far Frozen. Luckily none of his enemies were in his path today. He shivered and rubbed his arms while he flew. He was beginning to feel a tingling sensation as well. At this point he decided there was no way this could be good.

By the time he arrived in the Far Frozen, Danny's face felt flushed, yet he was still freezing. Frostbite was quick to intercept him. He must have been able to sense him coming or something, since he always showed up at the right time.

"Great One! What are you doing back in the Far Frozen? Do you require assistance from your humble servant?" Frostbite boomed. A grin widened across his face, showing off his fangs.

Danny's head felt like a fog. "Uhhh..." He furrowed his brows, trying to clear his mind. "Yeah, uh, I think something is wrong with my core. I figured this should be the first place to check, since you helped me the first time." He rubbed his temples.

Frostbite blinked in surprise. "Yes, of course, Great One. Come with me to the medical facility." He picked Danny up princess style. Normally Danny would complain, but he felt like shit and this was kind of Frostbite's thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What is it that troubles you, Great One?" Frostbite inquired, gently placing Danny onto a table. "Apologies." He said briefly before removing Danny's shirt. He gazed curiously at his glowing chest.

Danny groaned. "Well you're already looking at one of the troubles." He attempted to shift himself into a sitting position. "So uh, my core is just... really weird right now? It's been really painful. I'm constantly freezing, but I can't disperse the energy like I would usually." He wiped his brow. "Oh great, and now I'm sweating. It's like I have a fever but I'm absolutely freezing." He shivered as if to accentuate his point.

"Interesting," Frostbite hummed. He pressed his good paw against Danny's forehead. "You are very warm. When did this start?"

Danny mumbled, "Um... yesterday afternoon, I think. It was my 18th birthday." He fell back on the table, rubbing his head.

Frostbite tensed slightly. "Your 18th?" He paused as if he was considering something. "It could be possible..." He murmured to himself, scratching his chin with his frozen paw.

"What could?" Danny asked, sitting up again. Frostbite looked concerned, which worried him. "Frostbite?" He pressed.

Frostbite still didn't speak. Finally he stated, "I do have a theory. It is something my kind experience when they come of age, but I do not know about you. You are a special case, Great One." He turned his back, pondering further. "I cannot tell you with certainty. I advise that you seek help from the other of your kind." He finally declared, turning back.

"...What?" Danny gaped. "You mean Vlad?" He scoffed. "No way in HELL am I asking that sick fruit-loop for help. Just tell me what's wrong with me!" Another tremor wracked his body, sending tingles down his legs.

The yeti-like ghost sighed. "I believe you may be in heat. It is something we experience when we come of age. It tells us that we have matured. Again, I greatly suggest that you request advice from the half ghost, Plasmius."

Danny was dumbfounded. "I have no idea what the fuck you're saying. In heat? What does that even mean?" He growled flatly. "That aside, are you seriously telling me that I need to go ask my arch-nemesis for help? To go up to him while I'm vulnerable, while I don't know what's happening to me, and beg? He'll kill me! He doesn't care! If he sees an opening he'll just beat the shit out of me!" He spat, flinging an arm out dramatically.

Frostbite's gaze softened. "I doubt that, Great One. I don't think you understand him as well as you may think." Danny scoffed. The larger ghost set a firm paw on the halfa's shoulder. "I cannot help you with this, Great One. I cannot assist with biology I do not understand. Plasmius has been a half ghost far longer than you, he may have greater knowledge in this situation."

Danny let out a groan of reluctance. He buried his head in his hands. Finally he sighed and lifted his head. He attempted to stand, but the world felt like it was a spinning, hazy mess. Finally balancing himself out, he rose into the air and turned toward Frostbite. "If I permanently become a ghost, I blame you."

He flew out of the medical facility and into the sky of the Ghost Zone. Frostbite waved from below. "I wish you the best of luck, Great One!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, and that's Chapter 2! A bit shorter than the previous, but I'm writing these in advance anyway so you won't have to wait long. Vlad shows up next chapter! Finally!
> 
> Let me know what you think so far, I appreciate polite criticism and feedback. :)
> 
> I know the chapters are really short, but I'm hoping to keep them frequent and at least 1k words each.


	3. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is cross-posted so let me know if you come across any mistakes!

Danny had decided to return home and spend the day resting rather than immediately confront Vlad. It would be best to be well rested, in case things go wrong. Danny had been grumbling, lost in thought, ever since the Far Frozen.

How on earth was _Vlad_ of all people supposed to help him? Sure he was more experienced, and was the only other halfa, and was really smart... but there was no way he could trust the older ghost. But... he had to. He didn't have a choice.

He even ignored messages from Sam and Tucker asking if he wanted to hang out for a 'post-birthday celebration.' He simply texted back that he wasn't feeling well, claiming he had too much ice cream cake the night before.

The pain in his chest and throbbing near his legs was worsening with each hour that passed. By the time he emerged through the Fenton portal, he felt like he was being dragged down by a bag of cinderblocks. He managed to at least go invisible before flying up to the bathroom. Maybe a shower would help.

He quickly changed back into a human. The usual white rings split apart at his waist, returning him to his raven-haired self. He shuffled off his black jacket and peeled off his white T-shirt. He started the shower so it could warm up by the time he finished removing his clothes. He unbuckled his jeans, pulling them and his underwear down in a swift motion before halting.

Danny stayed frozen for a solid second, looking down. He turned beet red, suddenly comprehending the throbbing sensation from earlier. _Damn it! What the fuck?!_

He set the shower water to as cold as he could before hopping in and sitting down, letting the chill wash over him. _Why the fuck did he have a boner?!_ Danny was almost disgusted with himself. He convinced himself that it was just a really fucked up side effect from... well, whatever was happening to him.

He brought his knees up to his chest and groaned. This was such a pain. His birthday was supposed to be fun, not littered with a bunch of ghost issues! He was shivering, too. Cold water paired with his freezing core was not a good combination. The floor of the shower had begun frosting over.

After spending a good amount of time calming down, he rose from the shower, trembling. He wrapped himself in a towel. He quickly dried his hair and darted back to his room with a towel around his waist.

He locked himself in his room and threw on some baggy pajamas. He attempted to play a few levels of Doomed before bed, but the pain in his core decided to spike more severely than any occasion so far.

Danny gasped, clutching his chest and leaning against his desk for support. Pain wracked his body until he fell on his knees, struggling to breathe. Tears were welling up in his eyes. His chest kept tightening in pain, making it impossible to take a deep breath. His mind felt cloudier than ever; he could barely make a coherent thought. To make matters worse, the burning sensation around his crotch was starting up again, more intensely than before. The entire rest of his body was freezing, which made it incredibly difficult to ignore.

He managed to gain his footing and collapse onto his bed. He curled up, willing the pain to subside. Passing minutes felt like hours. Danny held back tears. Why the fuck did this have to hurt so much?

The pain finally receded enough for Danny to breathe and get a few hours of fitful sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, maybe he shouldn't have skipped going to Vlad's yesterday. Danny's thoughts when he woke up were a haze. He was basically moving on autopilot. Forget breakfast, he was going straight to Vlad's. He needed help.

Noticing the still burning sensation in his pants, Danny threw on a pair of his baggiest sweats, hoping it wouldn't be too noticeable. He didn't tell anyone he was leaving, he just flew straight through the portal in the basement. It was a much faster route to Vlad's.

Vlad's portal was as subtle as always. Danny pushed aside the massive football and flew through.

He stepped lightly onto the tiles of Vlad's lab. It didn't seem like Vlad was here currently, thank goodness. Danny relaxed and took a look around. Nearly everything in the lab was some shade of purple. Pipes and tubes protruded from the walls. He'd never really been able to look at Vlad's lab since most of the times he was in here, he was fighting for his life. However he currently had more pressing matters at hand, the sight-seeing could wait for another day.

Danny turned intangible and flew through the roof of the lab, into the halls of Vlad's mansion. Another wave of dizziness hit him, causing him to lean against the wall for support. He shuffled his way down the hallway toward the main entrance.

 _Where could Vlad be?_ He wondered. He leaned against the wall, stopping to breathe. These effects were growing worse and worse. He really needed to find the older ghost. He noticed a massive portrait of the Wisconsin Dairy King hanging on the wall. Okay, seriously, this dude has weird taste.

Of course the moment Danny stops to observe the painting, a pink ectoplasmic blast hits him directly from behind. Speak of the devil.

Vlad descended from the ceiling, laughing. "Daniel! What a surprise to see you here at my mansion. To what do I owe the pleasure, little badger?" He grinned, charging up another beam.

"W-wait!" Danny choked out, holding up his hands. He changed back into Danny Fenton, hoping Vlad would see it as a sign of non-aggression. "I'm not- I'm not here to fight you, Plasmius."

Vlad growled in disbelief. He hesitated long enough to see Danny's poor state. The boy's raised hands were trembling, and his eyes were glazed over. He was covered in a sheen of sweat and his face was bright red. Slowly, he landed on the ground. Danny was panting as if he had run the whole way here.

"I need-" Danny gulped. "I need help." He closed his eyes, still expecting another blast from his enemy. It didn't come.

Vlad stepped toward him, grabbing his wrist. He was still glaring, but the boy didn't seem to be in the shape to pull any pranks. "What's wrong?" He finally asked. "Why come to me?"

Danny lowered his free hand, not bothering to struggle against Vlad's grip. "S-something is wrong with my core." Vlad blinked in surprise. "I really need your help."

"...Very well."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vlad led him back down to his lab, beckoning him onto yet another metal table. He put on a mask for good measure, though he doubted he needed it. "Explain."

Danny repeated what he said to Frostbite the day before, as well as what Frostbite told him. He neglected to mention the whole arousal issue. "He said it was some kind of maturity thing? He wasn't sure, though. He said you were basically my only option." Danny was barely focused enough to recap Vlad on the situation. Right now he was freezing cold and just wanted a blanket. "Do you have a blanket? I need a blanket. You should get me a blanket." He murmured without a thought.

Vlad raised an eyebrow. The teenager was definitely spaced out. He complied anyway, leaving and returning with a plush blanket for him.

The boy sighed in content, curling up in it. "Much better... uh, right, the core thing. Umm..." He blinked lazily. "Did I mention my core was glowing? My core is glowing."

Vlad stifled a laugh. Daniel was acting ridiculous. However, he did agree to help him. "Would you mind removing your shirt, Daniel?" He asked gently.

Danny whined in annoyance, but proceeded. He only complied because Frostbite made him do it too. He shivered, but had to keep the blanket off in order to expose his chest. The glow was brighter than before.

"Lay down." Vlad ordered. Danny obeyed. The older ghost rubbed a hand against his chest and Danny flinched.

"What the hell are you doing?" He yelped. Vlad rolled his eyes and continued to press against Danny's pecs.

"Relax, I'm just testing the sensitivity. Is it that painful?" He asked, pressing against his ribs, rubbing circles with his thumb.

"YES!" Danny growled, smacking the hand away. "It's sore!" He paused. "But holy _shit_ you were warm..." He mumbled, grabbing his hand again and pressing it to his face. He hummed contentedly.

Vlad's eyes widened and he yanked his hand away. Danny whined something about being cold, but he ignored it. "Ahem... did Frostbite say anything else about your condition?"

Danny hummed, reaching out for Vlad's hand again. "C'monnnn, I'm coldddd!" He groaned. "Just lemme hold your hand or somethin'..."

Vlad used one finger to zap him back to his senses. " _ **Daniel.**_ "

Danny's mind snapped into focus. "What? Uh, shit. Sorry." He shook his head. "Uhh, Frostbite said something about this heat thing? Which is weird cuz I'm just really cold."

Vlad tensed, going completely silent. He turned toward Danny, understanding much more clearly exactly what was happening to him.

"What?" Danny asked. "Why won't either of you guys just tell me what's wrong? Enough of the mysterious silence bullshit!" He snapped, sending a wave of pain through his body. He flinched, instinctively putting a hand to his chest. "Just say it outright, Plasmius!"

Vlad paused before letting out a sigh. He rubbed the back of his head. "I'll just give you a textbook answer then." He inhaled and clapped his hands together.

"You're currently in heat, or estrus, which is a recurring period of sexual receptivity and fertility in many female mammals, but has been proven to show up in certain ghosts of either sex when they reach the age of maturity." He rushed. Danny looked confused. Vlad gave an exasperated sigh before stating simply, "you're currently in a period of constant, overwhelming arousal."

Danny gaped. "What. The. _**FUCK** , Vlad!_" He erupted. "What the fuck! You're telling me that my ghost half is making me fucking _HORNY?!_ "

Vlad grimaced. "A rather vulgar way of putting it, but yes. I suppose." Danny looked furious. He could tell that tears were welling up in the teen's eyes. "I'm... willing to answer any questions you may have, Daniel. I know it's rather embarrassing."

Danny growled, sitting up and burying his face in his knees. The two halfas sat in silence for a few minutes before Danny finally raised his head and grumbled, "How long does it last?" He kept his head turned to the side, face bright red and brows furrowed.

"Let me explain a bit further. A ghost's heat cycle is similar to a human woman's ovulation. It can last from a few days up to a week. Ghosts can be created from death, but it's rare. It typically only occurs when a ghost has a desperate obsession that they cling to, tethering them to the Ghost Zone. I'm sure you know the Box Ghost's obsession. You've met Poindexter, his obsession is protecting others from bullies. I'm sure there are plenty of ghosts you can think of that have obsessions."

Danny rolled his eyes. That was putting it lightly.

Vlad continued. "However, ghosts can also be produced. Ghost estrus is the body's way of encouraging reproduction." Danny thought of Box Lunch and shivered. Ew.

"You said 'certain' ghosts," the boy said, "so do some ghosts not get it?"

"Very good Daniel." Vlad nodded. "I am teaching you something after all. You're correct, not all ghosts experience heat. There's a variety of reasons, not all of which I've yet been able to study. Such reasons may include their configuration, or their aging. For example, Skulker has never experienced going through heat."

"Ew, I do not want to hear anything about Skulker's lust life." Danny grunted.

"...Or Youngblood, as he does not age. Some ghosts, such as Frostbite's kind, do age. Others do not. There are plenty of different variables!" Vlad rambled, waving his hands excitedly. He looked like he was about to go off on a tangent, so Danny interrupted.

Danny asked another pressing question on his mind. "Is there a way to... deal with it? Like... make it hurt less? Or fix it?" He rubbed his hands together awkwardly.

"Well... you can't stop it from happening, but there are ways of... coping." He answered. "There's three main ways of dealing with it, in order of effectiveness. Either you can wait it out, which is painful as you've likely realized, you can relieve yourself, or engage in a sexual... partnership." Vlad was actually beginning to feel nervous about discussing this with the younger halfa.

The two were silent momentarily.

"Vlad?"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"Have you gone through heat?"

Vlad froze. Danny could swear he saw his cheeks flush for a moment. The older halfa cleared his throat before straightening his back and stating clearly, "Yes. I have."

Danny's head shot up. "You have? How did you deal with it? Is it always this painful? When will I stop experiencing it? What--" He blabbered.

He pressed a finger to Danny's lips. "One at a time, Daniel." He scolded and took a deep breath, calming his nerves. "First of all, I'm personally satisfied with taking care of myself. Some methods work better for others, so I can't guarantee what will work for you. Secondly, no, it is not always as bad as what you are experiencing. It varies in intensity. Third, its overall time span is about the same as the ovulation cycle. You can research that yourself, I'm not your health teacher. Anything else?"

The younger boy took a moment to think. "Not... at the moment. My head is getting all foggy again." He saw Vlad shift his arm. "Do NOT shock me again!"

He let out a huff and shrugged, dropping his arm. "Let me know if you need anything, Daniel. All heat related situations will hold a truce. I will not harm you."

Danny blinked in shock. "Are you serious? I was sure you were gonna take the first shot you could get to, I don't know, abduct me or something." He chuckled nervously.

Vlad sighed. "Just go home and figure out how you want to handle yourself. And put your shirt back on."

The teen scrambled to tug his shirt over his head and run over to the portal. He looked back and smiled, "thanks, fruit-loop," before vanishing through the portal. He was still in pain, but he was feeling much more reassured. Vlad promised a truce, and Danny knew what was wrong now. Though, he now had to consider the options of what to do...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's chapter 3! About 1500 more words than I intended, but I'm not complaining. Let me know what you think! Thank you so much for all the positive feedback so far! Consider leaving kudos! <3


	4. Seeking a Solution

Danny quickly arrived home and shot up to his bedroom, locking the door behind him. He listened carefully. If his parents were home, he was sure he'd be able to hear Jack yelling or blowing something up. The house was quiet. They must be on patrol.

Jazz had gone back to college, so he had the house to himself. He breathed a sigh of relief before focusing on the painful burning sensation in his sweats. He floated over to his bed and laid down, pulling his sweats past his crotch. His chest tightened and he twitched at the sight of his hard-on.

He recalled the three options Vlad had told him about: ignore it, deal with it himself, or find a partner. It hurt way too much to ignore, and there was no way he was hooking up with some stranger. _Jerking it is_ , he thought to himself.

"Fuckin' embarrassing..." He grumbled. Obviously he has masturbated before, but he rarely had the time between fighting ghosts. Maybe this whole 'heat' thing could at least help with his built up tension.

He leaned back into his pillow, letting his hand trail down to his dick. He wrapped his hand around it, which sent a shiver up his spine. Holy _shit_ he was sensitive. Just a few strokes up and down his shaft had him panting.

He moved one hand down to play with his balls, one of his more sensitive areas. He fondled them gently, moving his other hand up and down the upper half of his member. He bit his lip and whimpered, toes curling.

"Nnh..." He varied the speed of his strokes, allowing himself to relax into the pleasure. " _Fuck_..." He hissed through his teeth. The pleasure coursed through in waves, causing his core to throb in satisfaction.

His right hand moved to focus more on the tip while his left focused on fondling his balls. His back arched as he let out a moan. God, this felt a million times better than usual...

His core pulsed in tune with each stroke. Danny couldn't even hear the gasps and moans escaping from his lips. His hips bucked against his hand, causing further stimulation for himself.

His mind drifted, trying to think of anything that would help get him off faster. Danny needed to hurry this up before his parents got home. He let himself think about being in a submissive position, being pushed down into his bed. Danny was never sure if he was a top or a bottom, but he'd always think of being a sub.

He leaned further into his bed, imagining he was being forced down by someone larger than him. His breath hitched. He whimpered in ecstasy, back arching as he drew closer and closer to a climax. At this point he didn't give a damn about how loud he was; his mind was completely shadowed by blissful pleasure.

He moaned loudly, bucking against his hand and tugging at his balls as the bliss in his core grew. He recalled the feeling of Vlad's warm hands caressing his chest and heard his smug, mocking voice in his ear. _Little badger..._

That sent him over the edge. He let out a cry of ecstasy as he ejaculated onto his hand and chest. Fuck. His shirt was stained.

He panted heavily. The fog in his mind slowly cleared, and a look of horror crossed his face. He had just orgasmed to Vlad Masters. He sat up rapidly. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

He scrambled out of bed and raced to the bathroom, rapidly washing his hands and face. He stared at himself in the mirror, looking disgusted with himself. The pain from his core was gone, sure, but it was replaced with regret and shame.

He splashed some cold water on his face and shook his head, taking a deep breath. It was fine. It was just... the whole ghost heat thing. It wasn't his fault. He nodded to himself. It was just the heat.

After Danny had calmed down, he was able to assess his current situation. The pain from his core had ebbed down to a throb, but it was tolerable. It was leagues better than when he was at Vlad's. He blushed, remembering how he had acted while he was there. He vaguely recalled whining to hold Vlad's hand. He groaned, burying his face in his hands.

He needed to distract himself. Since he was feeling better, he decided to call Tuck and Sam to hang out at the Nasty Burger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny pushed through the doors of the fast food restaurant, spotting Sam and Tucker waving from their usual spot.

"Hey there, birthday boy!" Sam called. Danny smiled. At least he could think clearly around his friends.

"My birthday was two days ago, Sam." He reminded her, nudging her shoulder with his elbow. He took a seat next to Tucker, who was busy modifying his PDA.

She rolled her eyes. "How's your stomach? Feeling better?" He'd almost forgotten about the excuse he'd given them.

"Obviously, why would I be at Nasty Burger otherwise?" He teased. "How have you guys been? Not too lonely, I hope."

Tucker laughed. "Please! If anything, it's just been boring. I'm surprised no ghosts have shown up in the past few days!"

As if on cue, the three ghost-hunters heard the strum of a guitar and a cheer from outside. " ** _HELLO, AMITY PARK!!_** " Sam and Danny glared at Tucker.

"You just had to jinx it, didn't you?" Sam scoffed, getting to her feet. Danny ducked under the table so he could go ghost before shooting out the door.

"Ember!" He shouted, charging an ectoplasmic beam. "I wasn't aware you were on tour!" He shot a blast of green ectoplasm at Ember, which she dodged easily.

"Sometimes you gotta surprise your audience, babypop!" She remarked, strumming her guitar and sending a pink skull rocketing toward the halfa. He stumbled, narrowly avoiding it. Shit, he was still off his game. His core was beginning to ache again, and he fell to his knee. _Fuck._

Pain and arousal coursed through his body. He was beginning to panic. There was no way he could fight like this. Desperate, Danny flew through the air, tackling Ember to the ground behind the Nasty Burger before she had time to react.

"Holy shit dipstick, seems like you've been working on your speed--" She started before Danny quickly silenced her, pinning her to the ground and unknowingly straddling her.

"Could we reschedule? I'm having some issues right now and it's really not a great time to fight." He begged. "Please? I've helped you out before, consider this cashing in a favor or something." The chills were returning, aside from the heat spreading to his groin. He desperately wanted to end this before his mind started to haze.

"Pfft, why the hell would I wanna help _you_ , dipstick?" Ember sneered, struggling to push against his weight. She chuckled nervously, surprised by Danny's sudden strength. "You've, uh, been training, huh?" She thrashed again, trying to throw him off. Due to their unfortunate positioning, all Ember was really doing was rubbing against the teen's crotch. She felt him harden and they both froze.

Ember stared at him in shock. They were both silent before Ember finally spluttered, "Are you in _heat?!_ " Danny immediately released her arms and backed against the building, face flushing bright green.

"I- uh- wait, you're the first person to immediately assume that." He stammered. Vlad and Frostbite had both been shocked when they realized he was in heat. Ember knew right off the bat. "The other people didn't realize until later! What's with you knowing immediately?"

Ember snickered. "I'm not a dumbass, it's pretty easy to realize when you, y'know, have a fucking _boner_. Besides, I've been a ghost way longer than you." She strapped her guitar behind her back and crossed her arms. "Don't worry about the fight, babypop. I'll come back on another tour later."

Danny blinked, not quite comprehending. She was just going to leave?

Ember laughed before walking up and patting him on the back. "We ghosts have, like, an unspoken rule. Most of us don't fight if one of us is in heat. That's just how it is." She paused. "Don't trust Skulker though. He probably wouldn't care. I'll take him on a hunting trip or something when you're in heat, aight? You let me know if you need help."

The boy was utterly dumbfounded. He fell to his knees, confused. Why was Ember being so nice? Wasn't she gonna, I don't know, try to hypnotize him or something? Or try to take over Amity Park?

She noticed his shocked expression and rolled her eyes. "Chill, dipstick. I know how much heat cycles suck, that's all." She growled. "I won't take it so easy on you next time, though!" She warned, flying into the air and retreating back to the Ghost Zone.

Sam and Tucker ran around the corner of the Nasty Burger at that moment, seeing Danny kneeling on the ground. "Danny!" They cried in unison, sprinting over to him.

He stared straight in front of him, still blinking in confusion. What the fuck just happened? He flinched as Tucker put his hand on his shoulder and shook him. "Wha- Tuck? Sam?" He finally acknowledged his two friends.

Another chill washed over him and his pants suddenly felt way, way too tight. He curled in on himself, groaning in pain. His friends cried his name again, kneeling down to support him.

"Danny! What's wrong? Did Ember hurt you?" Sam rushed, shaking his arm aggressively. Danny lurched forward, gasping for air.

"N-no, I just- I need to get home, fast." He choked, desperately gripping his chest. The glow of his core had begun to shine through his suit, which Tucker noticed first.

"Dude! What's going on with your chest? What did Ember do?!" He exclaimed. Danny growled and shook his head, repeating that he needed to get home.

"I'll explain later, just let me go!" He snapped. They both looked startled, releasing him. Danny immediately floated into the air, still grasping his chest. He sped into the sky back to his room, leaving his friends standing alone behind the Nasty Burger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny tumbled straight through the ceiling of his room and against the side of his bed, panting. He couldn't think clearly; the only thing making his decisions was pure instinct. Why was his core already acting up again? Hadn't he taken care of it? It had only been two hours! He vaguely recalled Vlad saying that nothing could fix the heat effects entirely. Danny snarled, ripping off his suit and clutching his erection.

He seemed almost feral, growling and drooling as he frantically rubbed his member. He leaned against the side of his bed that faced away from the door, whining loudly. He didn't know if anyone was home and honestly, he _didn't care_. His door wasn't even locked.

He gasped and moaned, repeating the actions from earlier today, focusing intently on the tip of his shaft. He quickly ejaculated into his hand, but his mind was still foggy. He let out a whine, completely unsatisfied. He staggered to his feet. He at least had the sense to put his jumpsuit back on.

He slammed his door open, flying down the stairs. Sam and Tucker had arrived after sprinting back from the Nasty Burger. "Danny, hold on!" They cried. Danny was already in the basement, opening the Ghost Portal.

They raced down the stairs after the halfa, demanding that he slow down. Danny turned back and growled before vanishing through the portal.

Now that he was in the Ghost Zone, he had to think. He tried to clear his mind. Relieving himself wasn't working. He could only last two hours without the heat coming back and hitting harder than before. That only left him with one option. He would grimace, but he was too focused on finding a solution to his uncontrollable lust. Should he go back to Frostbite? No, he wasn't going to try and partner with a bunch of furry monsters who worshipped him. Though, worship didn't sound too bad...

He shook his head. No. No furry people. He tried to focus past his clouded mind. He couldn't go to anyone at home, since he didn't exactly have anyone. Sam and Tuck were his best friends, so that was an automatic 'ew.'

There was no one in the Ghost Zone he could think of that wouldn't kill him or be overall disgusted. The last person he could think of was... Vlad. He _did_ say he was willing to help. He said he'd gone through this too, and he promised a truce so...

Danny's body had already begun moving to Vlad's portal before he noticed. _Shit_. Well, he'd come this far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided on an upload schedule! I'll do my best to have a chapter up every Friday and Tuesday, starting today. I hope you'll stick around!


	5. Clouded Judgement

Danny floated in front of Vlad's portal, conflicted. If he had an ounce of sense left, he would turn around and go home. Unfortunately, his lust far outweighed his logic. He passed through the portal, throwing aside his better judgement.

Vlad was currently working in his lab, so needless to say he was surprised when he heard his portal open. He rapidly took a defensive stance. He whirled around, quickly transforming into his spectral form. When the familiar form of the younger half-ghost stepped out, he lowered his guard.

"Daniel?" He inquired, changing back. Something was wrong with the boy. His eyes were glazed and he seemed to stumble over his own feet. _Oh dear_... the older male immediately thought. He knew that look; he'd experienced it himself. "Daniel, listen to me."

Danny glanced up at him, lurching towards him. Vlad took a step back. The boy tumbled directly into his broad chest and looked up. "Help..." He purred, clutching the man's suit.

"Daniel, you're not thinking straight." He insisted, taking another step back and bumping into his desk. Several papers fluttered to the ground as he adjusted his hand. He grabbed the young halfa's shoulders, attempting to push him back. Danny just murmured irritably and pushed harder into him.

The ghost pressed a cheek against the warm, broad chest beneath him. _God, Vlad felt so good..._ It was unbearable. He grasped at the suit, desperate to be as close to the warmer ghost as possible. "C'mon Vlad... you promised you'd help." He whined.

Vlad was beginning to sweat nervously. "I did help, Daniel. I gave you your options!" He leaned into the desk, searching for a way out that didn't involve blasting the boy.

Danny hissed, eyes flashing an even brighter green. "It's not _working!_ I already tried!" He whimpered, looking up at Vlad with tears in his eyes. 

Vlad gulped, moving his hands to grab Danny's wrists. "Daniel, I can't-" The ghost boy growled, dramatically grinding his hips against Vlad's leg. The older male twitched, heartbeat quickening. This was not good.

"Please..." He whimpered. "There's- there's nothing else I can do." All sense of shame had drained from Danny. He was completely overwhelmed by desperate arousal. There was no way he was stopping, and Vlad could see that.

Defeated, Vlad teleported the two onto the couch in his library. Danny hummed, seemingly pleased at this decision. He attempted to pin Vlad down, but the man's eyes flashed red and he grabbed his arms.

"If I have to care for you, I'm going to do it the easiest way possible for both of us." He growled. This boy was going to be the death of him. He was surprised he hadn't already suffered heart failure from the stress Danny put on him. He leaned against the arm of the couch, grabbed Danny, and spun him around so he was facing away from him. Maybe he'd feel less guilty if he didn't need to see the boy's face.

Danny yelped at Vlad's sudden adjustments, but leaned back into his lap comfortably. His clouded mind was growing impatient, however. He whined, wiggling against him. "Hurry up alreadyyy..." The building arousal in his groin was becoming painful, and he was desperate for release.

"You are by far the most difficult boy I've ever had to deal with," Vlad huffed, wrapping one arm around Danny's chest and tugging down his pants with his free hand. "Let's get this over with then, shall we?" He leaned his head back and to the side, trying to ignore the fact that he was about to give a hand-job to his 18 year old enemy. He slipped a hand around Danny's erection.

Danny immediately let out a deep sigh of pleasure. Just that simple touch felt like electricity shooting through his veins. He moved a hand to grab Vlad's arm. He melted like putty in the grip of the older male, gasping frantically as his hand increased speed. His knees lurched upwards and his toes curled. He bit his lip, trying to suppress a cry as Vlad swiped his thumb over the tip of his cock. "Ah! Hhholy s-shit, nngh..."

Vlad was sweating heavily now, trying to ignore Danny's moans. The boy was fidgeting nonstop, rubbing against Vlad's crotch. Maybe this positioning hadn't been the greatest idea. He'd be lying if he said the moaning wasn't a massive turn on. Daniel was moving his hips in rhythm with Vlad's strokes, mewling like a kitten. 

Vlad turned to rest his chin in the crook of Danny's shoulder, which the younger ghost welcomed eagerly. The more contact, the better. Every touch from Vlad was met with delight, as it sent burning heat straight to his icy core. His moans echoed throughout the large library. At this point he was too heated to care what humiliating noises he made. While one hand clutched Vlad's busy forearm, he reached around with the other and grabbed the back of the man's head, pulling him in. His fingers coursed through the silky silver locks, fumbling to loosen the ponytail.

"Vlad," Danny gasped between moans. "M-more, please more..."

 _Shit._ Vlad actually cursed to himself as he felt Danny's fingers tug on his hair. His face was beginning to flush. The feeling of fingers pushing through his hair was lovely. This was getting dangerous. He quickened his stroking pace, which was met with a lurch and a cry of ecstasy. He could tell that Danny was getting close, so he chose to fondle the tip, focusing on the frenulum. 

Danny spasmed, wracked with pleasure. He'd never felt this good before and it was driving him crazy. He thrusted frantically against Vlad's grip, panting and drooling. It was too much to handle. He finally came directly into Vlad's hand, twitching wildly. He was still moaning and gasping. He clawed at Vlad's hair as he rode out his orgasm.

Vlad let out a breath of relief when the boy finally climaxed, wincing as the fingers tightened around his long hair. That was more than enough ' _helping._ ' He sighed and removed the boy's hand from his hair and let him catch his breath. He pulled out the handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped his hand. He sat back, waiting for Danny to come to his senses.

Danny panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. Two white rings went up and down his body as he reverted to his usual, Fenton self. He finally managed to get some oxygen into his system, and the fog set over his mind began to clear. He leaned back with a breath of relief, but jolted as his head hit something soft and warm. He suddenly became brutally aware of his surroundings. He was sitting between Vlad's legs in the middle of the library with his pants halfway down his legs.

He turned bright red and shot straight up. He lifted his fist and immediately slammed it backward, directly into Vlad's gut. The older man let out an audible ' _oof!_ ' which Danny took as an opportunity to leap off the couch, yank up his pants, and sprint out the door.

Vlad groaned as he recovered from the punch to his stomach. "I swear, Daniel is going to be the second death of me." He sighed, exasperated, before standing up to go take a cold, _cold_ shower.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny flew through the air at speeds he'd never before reached. Tears welled up in his eyes but were quickly pushed aside by the wind. _What the fuck? What the **FUCK?**_ He felt like he was going to hyperventilate. He had just gotten jacked off by his arch-nemesis. And he _enjoyed_ it.

He was utterly disgusted with himself, because he had delighted in every single second of Vlad stroking and fondling him. That was the most intense orgasm he'd had in his life, and it was because of _Vlad_. His relationship with the half-ghost had always been black and white: Vlad was the villain, and he was the hero. They fought, bantered, and then Danny would foil his evil plots. _The hero didn't get a **hand-job** from the villain!_ How was he supposed to go back to facing Vlad with witty retorts when he knew the man had gotten him off?

He let out an audible scream, charging a beam of ectoplasm and firing it blindly in front of him and flying straight through the remnants. How could he be so stupid?

He quickly arrived home. He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes before phasing into his room. To his relief, Sam and Tucker seemed to have left. He could hear crashing from downstairs, which meant his parents were home. He sighed and immediately bolted for the shower.

The shower was a long one, making sure he cleaned himself thoroughly. It gave him time to process what had happened. He could hear his own humiliating moans echoing in his ears. His desperate whining, his pleas for more. The feeling of Vlad's hand on his chest while the other had stroked him to climax...

He sank to the floor of the shower and covered his face with his hands. He couldn't believe he allowed himself to be controlled by his heat. _I'll have to talk to Vlad... later._ He assured himself. He knew he couldn't avoid the situation forever, but he wasn't going to be ready anytime soon.

Danny sighed and got to his feet. He spent the time in the shower scrubbing the sweat from his skin. After the events earlier, he just wanted to feel clean and fresh.

He stepped out from the shower and retreated to his room. All he wanted to do was curl up in his blankets and sleep forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but I didn't really feel like writing more y'know
> 
> My beta-reader didn't edit this one this time so apologies if it's choppy!


	6. Avoiding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops! All plot!

Danny did not want to wake up. If he just stayed asleep, then he wouldn't have to confront the awaiting issues. He laid face down in his pillow for at least another 15 minutes before hearing a knock on his door and his mother's worried voice.

"Sweetie? Are you alright?" She slowly cracked open the door and peeked in, seeing her son groaning into his pillow. "We didn't see you at all yesterday!"

Danny huffed and stayed silent for a few moments. Finally he rolled over on his side and grumbled, "I was with Sam and Tucker. I just... got home late." His mother raised a doubtful eyebrow.

"They came looking for you yesterday, too." She said flatly. "Did something happen, Danny? I'm your mother, you know you can talk to me." She walked up to his bed and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

Danny growled irritably and shrugged her hand off. "I'm fine!" He snapped, swinging his legs out of bed and standing up. "I'm just gonna get some breakfast." He stalked out of his room. He knew he shouldn't be upset; his mother hadn't done anything wrong. He was just taking his anger at himself out on her.

He entered the kitchen, grabbed some toaster waffles from the freezer, and quickly popped them in the Fenton toaster. He didn't even bother applying butter or syrup, he just grabbed them straight out of the toaster and ate them plain. After getting some much-needed food in his system, Danny finally took a deep breath and tried to focus. 

_Calm down and think for once, Fenton!_ He snapped at himself. He exhaled, releasing the tension in his muscles. _Now assess. _He finally noticed the drastic change: his core wasn't hurting. At all. He blinked in surprise and tugged on his shirt so he could see his chest. No glowing! He let out a sigh of relief before releasing his shirt. Thank god the pain had ended.__

__His mother finally came downstairs, on her way to the basement. It was a normal sight, seeing the teenage boy staring down his shirt while holding a half-eaten toaster waffle in one hand. She chuckled and continued to the basement._ _

__Danny wasn't sure what he should do for the day. No way in hell was he talking to Vlad. He didn't see a point in returning to Frostbite. As he mulled over his options, there was furious knocking at the door. He looked up in surprise._ _

__Maddie came racing back up the stairs from the basement to open the door. "I'll get it, sweetie!" She skidded to a stop, opening the front door. Two teens barreled straight through._ _

__"HiMrs.Fentonsorrywe'reheretoseeDanny!!" Sam and Tucker rambled quickly, darting past her and starting for Danny's room._ _

__"He's in the kitchen!" Maddie chimed after them. The two immediately turned around, raced into the kitchen, and came out dragging a thrashing Danny by the collar._ _

__"ByeMrs.Fentonhaveagreatdayitwasniceseeingyou!" They slammed the door shut behind them, leaving Maddie blinking in surprise. She brushed it off and sighed happily. "They're such great friends!" She turned around to carry on with her day.__

__~~~~~~~~~~~~_ _

__Danny wailed and struggled, but Sam and Tucker neither said a word. They each had hold of an arm and were pulling him down the street. They finally arrived at the park and they tossed him on the fountain._ _  


__"Explain." They said in unison, crossing their arms._ _

__Danny looked up at them hesitantly, sitting on the edge of the park's fountain. "E-explain what?" He tried, but the two shot him down with a glare._ _

__Sam kept her arms crossed and shifted her weight to one leg. "You completely blew us off, Danny. One attack from Ember shouldn't have made you abandon us." Danny opened his mouth to protest, but couldn't find the words._ _

__"You _growled_ at us, dude!" Tucker exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Not just a grumpy 'ughh I hate mornings,' you snarled at us! What's up with that?" He huffed, eyeing the other boy._ _

__"You're seriously focusing on _that_ , Tuck?" Sam rolled her eyes. Tucker blabbered something about it being important to his pride, but the other two ignored him. Danny hesitated, deep in thought. He finally spoke._ _

__"It's... hard to explain."_ _

__"We've got all day." Sam replied simply. She sighed and sat next to him. "Look Danny, we don't mean to be harsh. But you're supposed to trust us. Something happened yesterday and you completely ditched us."_ _

__Tucker nodded. "We're your friends, man. Talk to us." He took a seat on the other side of Danny._ _

__Danny let out a defeated sigh before leaning his arms on his knees. "It's... a ghost thing." He started cautiously. His friends both raised an eyebrow. He continued, "Like I said, it's hard to explain, I don't really understand it all that well. It's, um... this ghost maturity thing?"_ _

__"Are you going through ghost puberty?" Tucker blurted. Sam reached behind him and smacked him over the head._ _

__"No!!" Danny cried out indignantly. He ran a hand through his hair and groaned. "It's- I don't know-" He continued to hesitate. Should he tell them everything? They _were_ all adults... but it was embarrassing as hell. He didn't want to talk about ghost hormones with his best friends. He sighed, deciding he would just leave out the more... uncomfortable parts._ _

__"Again, it's a ghost maturity thing. Since my eighteenth birthday I've been having a lot of issues with my core, so I went to Frostbite. He wasn't entirely sure of what was wrong, since my biology is different than, y'know, full ghosts. My core was causing me a lot of pain and I couldn't control my body temperature or breathing and... stuff." He paused to take a breath and glanced at his friends. They were sitting in silence, curious. He continued, "So Frostbite told me it might be some, uh, 'heat' thing... but he wasn't certain. So he sent me to Vlad."_ _

__His friends cried in unison, " _WHAT?!_ " Sam had risen to her feet, fists clenched. "Danny, that's not safe! He could have killed you!" She snapped. Danny knew this reaction was coming, but it was still frustrating._ _

__"I _know_ , Sam. I didn't have any other choice." He snapped. "Sorry," he apologized quickly before taking a deep breath. He was trying to get better at keeping his emotions under control. "Frostbite only sent me to Vlad because he thought another halfa might know more about our biology. Trust me, I didn't want to go. I even delayed, but my core only got worse to the point I couldn't even think clearly." He gulped, recalling his poor decision making when his mind had been foggy._ _

__"He did attack me at first--" He began, ignoring Sam's angry grunt in response. "--but things ended up going really well, actually. Frostbite was right when he said Vlad could help. He told me the basics of this whole 'heat' thing and said he wouldn't attack me while it's occurring. When I was fighting Ember later she told me that there was like an unspoken truce whenever a ghost was in heat." He explained, fiddling nervously with his hands._ _

__"Wait, so you actually _trust_ Vlad?" Sam snapped. "You can't _possibly_ believe he's going to honor a truce! When has he ever told the truth?!" She clenched her fists, growing increasingly frustrated. Tucker reached an arm behind Danny and set it on Sam's shoulder supportively. She released a defeated sigh._ _

__Danny rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what else I'm supposed to say here! I don't know what I'm supposed to do! This is all new to me and Vlad's my only option right now, as much as I dislike it. And despite how embarrassing it is..." He muttered the last part so it was inaudible. He straightened his back and looked back and forth at Sam and Tucker._ _

__Tucker smiled. "It's alright man. Just remember we're here for you, alright?" He pat him eagerly on the back._ _

__"I feel surprisingly fine now though, so... wanna play video games at your place?" He grinned, looking over at Sam. "Maybe watch a movie? I know you want to want that new super-villain movie."_ _

__Sam grinned widely, getting to her feet. "Fine, but not because I forgive you or anything!" She teased. She pulled Danny to his feet and Tucker followed, exiting the park and heading to Sam's._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh okay I despise this chapter. It's short and boring, I know, but I need some filler to show Sam and Tuck's thoughts on this too. I really didn't enjoy writing this so I apologize if it's choppy or poorly edited! I kinda rushed through this one.
> 
> On another note, I'm starting up a new Danny Phantom fic soon called Survival Instincts! Danny, practically born, raised, and tortured in a GIW facility, finally gets broken out along with Wulf. Boy oh boy, there's nothing like torturing my favourite characters.
> 
> I originally had more plans with this chapter but fuck I lost ALL inspiration and ended up just blabbing it up.


	7. Unfortunate Timing

It had been several weeks since Danny's... experience at Vlad's. He knew he'd have to talk to him eventually, and he'd finally made up his mind to go today. He refused to let himself second-guess his choice. It'd be easy, right? Just fly over, apologize profusely, and leave. Easy. 

Danny sat fidgeting on his bed, taking sharp breaths. _What if something goes wrong? What if he attacks me? What if he thinks I'm disgusting? What if-_ His mind was racing. He was worrying about every possible thing that could go wrong. He'd spent most of the day like this, it was already evening. He held his head between his hands and groaned. He smacked the sides of his head and took a deep breath.

 _Okay! You can do this!_ He assured himself, quickly getting to his feet. _No big deal. No big deal._ He repeated in his head, trying to calm himself down. Maybe Vlad had forgotten! No, that was wishful thinking. 

He let out a long " _ughhhhhh_ " as he shifted into his spectral form. He turned invisible and intangible before sinking straight through the floor and into the ghost portal. 

He'd made it about halfway to Vlad's before he heard a familiar voice call out to him. He swung around, ending up face to face with Ember.

"Hey there, babypop!" She exclaimed. She looked him up and down suspiciously, floating a few feet back. "Are you feeling better?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He was still embarrassed about the other day. "Yeah, thanks. Look, I'm really sorry about before. I wasn't in control of myself and I feel terrible. I'm--"

Ember cut him off. "Relax, dude. I know the feel." She playfully punched his shoulder. "I still get to hold it against you, though. So where are you headed in such a hurry?" She snickered, floating idly in front of the boy. She seemed to be in a good mood today. She was relaxed and even a little peppy. Her blue flame hair was dancing rhythmically above her.

Danny immediately flushed bright green. "Ugh, don't remind me..." He groaned, holding his head in his hands. He stayed silent for several seconds before slightly raising his head and muttering, "I _might_ have made a couple stupid choices while I was in heat." 

Ember coughed, trying not to laugh. Eventually she lost it and burst out laughing. "Oh my god! Hahaha! Did sweet little babypop have a one night stand?!" She cackled in excitement, wiping a tear from her eye. She was floating, curled in on herself in laughter.

"No!" He cried. "I didn't... _sleep_ with anyone." He grumbled, crossing his arms. Ember raised an eyebrow, curious to know more. Frustrated, Danny sighed and continued, "I just... made a dumb choice regarding my arch-nemesis." Ember lost it.

"Pffft- HAHAHAHA!" She howled in laughter. "Oh my god that's epic, what happened? Tell me more, I need to know. Did he get you off?" She pressed, leaning forward on her elbows in the air, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Danny huffed. "I am _NOT_ telling you more! I know you'll just spread a rumor around the Ghost Zone!" He shoved her out of the way, turning his legs into a wispy tail and making a run for it.

"Aww, babypop! C'mon, I was just teasing!" She called after him, but made no move to follow. She shrugged. Still grinning, she told herself, "whatever, he'll come around," before flying off in the direction of Skulker's island.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny finally arrived at Vlad's portal. He hesitated, hovering in front of it for several moments. His mind was still racing with paranoid thoughts of what could happen. He just needed to be as quick as possible. He bolted through the portal, ending up in a pitch black, empty lab. _Huh._

He rose through the floors, ending up in the hallways of Vlad's mansion. Most of the lights were off. It was a bit unsettling. He hovered through the halls, checking different rooms in search of the elder halfa. There was no sign of him anywhere. At this time of day, Vlad was sure to be home. He rarely had work in the evening. Maybe he was eating? Danny checked the dining hall to no avail.

The only place Danny could think of was Vlad's room. It was rare for the elder to be there; he was usually too busy with other work. He shrugged. It was worth a shot. Danny floated up through the hallways until he reached Vlad's room.

There was a faint glow coming from beneath the closed door. Danny put a hand on the doorknob before immediately jerking back, surprised. It was hot. He hesitated, beginning to second-guess his decision again. He shook his head. He'd come this far, he had to apologize to Vlad.

He phased his head through the door, peeking around before stepping in fully. Immediately he was hit by the overwhelming heat in the room. It felt like a sauna. Sweat was already beginning to bead up on Danny's forehead, which he wiped away with one gloved hand. He glanced over, instantly noticing a ghostly Vlad curled up on his stomach on his oversized bed. Seriously, how big of a bed does one lonely man need?

Vlad was pressed against the bed, hunched over on his stomach. His face was buried into the sheets. His arms were both gripped around a pillow, nails digging into the soft fabric. One leg was angled forward toward his head while the other was straightened out. He had another pillow between his legs. He had yet to notice the boy standing at the door.

To Danny's surprise, Vlad let out a low whine as he pressed further against the pillows. Danny was sweating heavily at this point due to the rising temperature in the room. He slowly walked over to the side of the bed. He didn't notice as Vlad bucked his hips against the pillow held between his legs.

"...Vlad?" Danny said softly, reaching down a hand to nudge Vlad's shoulder.

Vlad's head shot up instantly. Danny felt a chill go down his spine as he saw the older male's eyes. They were blood red, and his pupils were slit like a snake's. Something was definitely wrong. His eyes had never been like that before.

Before Danny could back away, Vlad grabbed him by the wrist and roughly pushed him into the mattress. A low, rumbling growl sounded from the back of his throat. Vlad had the younger halfa completely pinned, hands wrapped around his wrists and straddling his waist. The larger male leaned his head down into the crook of Danny's neck, breathing heavily on his skin.

Danny jerked in shock, struggling against the hold of the stronger man. It felt like the temperature of the room had rocketed up several more degrees. "Vlad?!" He yelped as he felt his breath hot against his skin. He bucked again, trying to escape the solid grip. He froze in shock as Vlad let out a pleasured groan.

_Oh shit._

Vlad pressed his mouth against Danny's neck, letting his fangs graze the boy's soft skin. 

"V-Vlad!" Danny gasped, still trying to free his hands. He was beginning to panic now. This was definitely a mistake.

Vlad still couldn't seem to hear the younger boy. His tongue slid out of his mouth and across Danny's neck, before his fangs dug into the skin. He didn't bite hard enough to draw blood, but it was enough to draw a whimper from Danny's throat. He trailed further down his neck, leaving more bite marks and he advanced lower. He used a single claw to drag down Danny's jumpsuit, exposing his collar bone.

At this point Vlad bit down hard. His fangs sank into Danny's collar bone. Little beads of green ectoplasm breached skin, dribbling down his chin.

"Mmfh!" Danny cried out. A twitch of pleasure shot down to his groin. He turned bright green. _What the fuck?_ There was no way he was getting turned on by being bitten. No. No way. He panted heavily, sweat dripping down his face. He turned his head to the side, biting his lip as Vlad drew his tongue across his bleeding collar bone. "Fuck..." He breathed softly. That really did feel good.

He yelped in surprise as Vlad began roughly grinding his hips against him. _Holyfuckhe'shuge-_ He thought, panicking. Vlad had once again moved his head so he could rest in the crook of Danny's neck. Unfortunately for Danny, this meant Vlad was moaning directly into his ear. He could feel the bulge growing further in his pants.

 _Too much. Too much!_ Danny thought, growing flustered. "V-Vlad!" Vlad pressed harder against his groin, causing a soft moan of pleasure to escape Danny's lips. "Vlad!" He cried, thrashing against his grip. "Stop it!"

Vlad froze. He lifted his head, staring down at Danny. His pupils dilated, and he pulled back in shock. He released the boy's wrists and held a hand over his mouth in distress before snarling, "Get out."

"Vlad-" Danny started.

" **Get. Out.** " Vlad hissed, standing up and turning away. He seemed to be trembling.

Danny scrambled out of the bed, turning intangible before escaping from the burning hot room. He raced down to the lab as quickly as he could, mind racing. He darted through the portal. _What the hell just happened?!_

He had been _genuinely aroused_ by Vlad biting him and grinding against him. He kept telling himself he was scared, but if he was, wouldn't he have just gone intangible and left? He gripped his hair in his hands as he let out an exhausted groan. This was all too confusing.

He floated aimlessly through the ghost zone, lost in his thoughts. He remembered the first time he tried to deal with his arousal and how he'd climaxed while thinking of Vlad. He had blamed that and his experience with Vlad entirely on his heat cycle, but to be turned on by Vlad _again_? And while he was _normal_? This wasn't some kind of accident anymore.

" **FUCK!** " He screamed, causing a blast of ectoplasm to explode off of him in all directions. _Why the hell does this need to be so difficult? Why me?_ He thought, growing more and more fed up by the second.

Any ghosts who may have seen him as he passed by knew better than to mess with him currently, especially after that blast. He had an aura of disgust, confusion, and anger surrounding him. Even the Box Ghost would know better than to pick a fight with a pissed off teenager. Maybe.

Danny finally found himself back at the Fenton ghost portal. He quickly turned invisible before entering, just in case his parents were down in the lab. It was the right move, as they were working on some kind of new device. He rolled his eyes before flying up the stairs and into the kitchen. He needed some comfort food while he sorted out the mess that was his thoughts.

He groaned, noticing that there was hardly any junk food left after his last 'comfort session.' Nothing seemed to be going his way since he turned 18.

He grabbed the last packet of chips before trudging up to his room. He collapsed onto his bed, completely worn out. He could get lost in his thoughts after he had a nap. A _long_ nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the best chapter in my opinion but it was self-indulgent as FUCK and I enjoyed writing it so, like, eat my dick. Aw yeah what's better than biting and grinding amirite
> 
> Anyway sorry it's late! I hope you enjoyed nonetheless! It's not beta-read so pardon any mistakes and fucky-wuckies.


	8. Discussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update for y'all cuz yer special and ya deserve it

Danny's eyes blinked open rapidly as he shot up in his bed. He glanced at his clock. It was already 9:00 AM the next morning. The recollection of the previous day's events swarmed his thoughts and he curled into himself with a groan. He'd been hoping that had been a seriously fucked up dream.

Unfortunately for him, he still had the bite marks to prove that what happened was real. He got to his feet with a sigh before kneeling down and pulling his first-aid kit out from beneath his bed. He might as well put some bandages on to hide them. He knew his parents wouldn't pay attention enough to notice, and he could easily play it off as a ghost fight if his friends asked.

Danny stood up and walked over to the mirror on his wall. He peeled off his shirt and studied at the damage. He blushed as he saw the trail of bite marks and bruises leading from his jaw down to his chest. He lightly touched his collar bone, reliving the feeling of Vlad's fangs sinking into his skin. He shivered, slightly in excitement, slightly in disgust with himself. How could he have _enjoyed_ that? Was this some secret kink he had accidentally uncovered? He shook his head.

He quickly cleaned the marks and placed bandages over them, wanting to just forget about their existence. He looked at himself again in the mirror. He looked utterly exhausted. He had prominent bags underneath his eyes and his hair was tangled and messy. He grabbed a comb and ran it through his disordered locks. That was a little better.

He changed into some fresh clothes: a black shirt, an unzipped red jacket, and some loose jeans. He adjusted the hood of the jacket to better hide the bruises on his neck. Danny figured he looked suitable enough to leave his room, and went downstairs for breakfast.

As usual, he made some toaster waffles. He took the time to put them on a plate and eat them at the table today. It felt nice to finally slow down and relax for a little while. He ate his breakfast slowly, savoring this rare free time. 

His mother ascended from the lab, gave him a quick good morning, stole the toaster, and began making her way back down to the lab. Danny hardly acknowledged it; this was just everyday business at Fenton Works. 

Of course, the boy's moment of peace couldn't last. A light knock sounded at the door.

"Danny, sweetie, could you get that for me? I'm busy right now!" His mother called as she rapidly descended back into the lab. Danny rolled his eyes, scooting out of his chair and pacing over to the front door. He sighed, straightened his back, and tugged the door open.

Standing in the doorway was a formally dressed Vlad Masters holding a wrapped box.

Danny slammed the door in his face.

He turned rapidly, pressing his back against the door to hold it shut. His heart was racing. _What the hell is he doing here?!_ His breathing quickened, thoughts racing. _What am I supposed to do? I can't just face him all of the sudden!_ He heard an annoyed huff from behind the door and another knock.

He slowly opened the door just so he could peek his eye through, glaring suspiciously at Vlad.

"Ah, Daniel-" Vlad began.

Danny tried to slam the door again, but Vlad shoved his hand through and held it open.

Vlad growled, annoyed. He opened the door himself and stepped into the house. "Daniel!" He repeated.

The boy turned on his heel, making a desperate break toward his room. He scrambled to the staircase, practically crawling up the stairs like an animal.

Vlad gave chase immediately. " _Daniel!_ " He exclaimed, exasperated, dropping the box on the living room table before racing after him up the stairs. He followed Danny as he sprinted down the hallway and into his room, slamming his door shut behind him. Vlad banged a fist against the door with an irritated sigh. "Daniel, I'm not here to hurt you."

"Piss off!" Danny called through the closed door.

The older halfa clenched his fist, growing increasingly frustrated. He charged a small beam and blasted off the door handle and shoving his way into the bedroom. 

"You are such a _brat_." He spat through clenched teeth. He shut the door behind him, towering over Danny. "We need to talk."

"Well that always means good news." Danny scoffed, taking a step back. He considered going ghost and escaping through the window. Vlad caught the look and immediately grabbed his wrist.

"You're not going anywhere, little badger. I'm not here for a fight." He growled. "Sit." He gestured to the chair at Danny's desk. 

Danny eyed him warily before taking a hesitant seat. "What would _you_ want to talk about, Plasmius?"

"What do you _think_?" He rolled his eyes. "We both know you're not as stupid as you act. You know what."

Danny considered being offended at that last remark, but kept his mouth shut. "Nope. Not a clue." He knew Vlad was trying to talk about what happened, but Danny certainly didn't want to. He turned his gaze to the floor, scowling.

Vlad massaged his temples in frustration. He finally snapped, "I want to talk about _this_!" He grabbed Danny's jacket, pulling the hood down to expose his bruised and bitten neck. Vlad's face had turned a light shade of red. He clearly didn't want to talk about this either.

Danny yelped in surprised, turning a much brighter red and smacking the older male's hand away. "Fuck off! You're a pervert, what else is there to say?!" He snapped. He pulled the hood up, covering the bandages again.

Vlad took a deep breath, determined not to yell at the younger halfa. He clasped his hands together, let out a deep sigh, and leaned against the wall. Eventually, he spoke. "Remember when you asked if I had gone through heat before?" He started, speaking evenly. 

Danny peered up at him suspiciously, but said nothing.

He continued, "I still experience it. You managed to catch me while I was in the worst of it. I experience heat much more... intensely... than other ghosts." He elaborated slowly, gesturing aimlessly with his hands. He glanced at Danny, trying to interpret his facial expression. It was a mixture of confused, suspicious, and irritated. Seeing as the boy wasn't going to say anything, Vlad took the liberty to carry on.

"I had a theory that, perhaps, halfas experience it more intensely than other ghosts. After seeing your... reaction during heat, I became certain that was the case. Most ghosts have far more control over their urges during estrus." He cleared his throat, blushing again. "I do not. I tend to act purely on instinct, and it is hard to differentiate what is what. Which is why I... took action upon you. I apologize." He gestured vaguely towards Danny as he finished his sentence.

The two sat in complete silence for several moments. Danny finally spoke up, "So let me get this straight. You get so horny you pounce on the first thing to move?"

Vlad coughed, spluttering, "No! I mean, sort of, but-- that's an incredibly crude way of putting it-- that's-- that's not how it is! I can tell that there is a person, but--" He flailed, stumbling over his words.

Danny had never seen Vlad this flustered before, and honestly? He was thoroughly enjoying it. He watched, amused, as Vlad rubbed his hands together in embarrassment. Oh, how he loved tormenting the older ghost.

"And why the hell didn't you tell me this when I first came over?" Danny huffed.

Vlad threw his arms up. "Well, _pardon me_ for not explaining my sexual tendencies to my eighteen year old nemesis!" He cried indignantly before crossing his arms. He turned to the side, giving Danny a side glare.

Danny burst out laughing, leaning forward with his hands wrapped around his stomach. Vlad scowled at him.

"Hahaha! Oh my god, Vlad, you should see how red you are right now--" He wheezed, cackling. "Even your ears are red!" He howled with laughter as Vlad let out a frustrated squawk and smacked the boy over the head and knocked him out of the chair.

Danny finally caught his breath, looking up from the floor. "Well, in any case, thank you for the apology. You're still a perverted fruitloop, though." He quickly remembered the object Vlad had been carrying when he originally slammed the door in his face. "Oh, right, it looked like you were carrying a present or something. What was that? You better not be trying to court my mom again, creep."

The silver-haired man glowered. "It _was_ an apology gift for you. But I'm no longer sure you deserve it." He stated with a smirk.

Danny rapidly scrambled to his feet. "Woah, wait, I still want it! C'mon, I call you a creepy as, uh, a term of endearment! Or something like that!" He leaned in front of Vlad, clasping his hands together excitedly.

Vlad turned his chin up, ignoring him. He opened an eye, looking down at the shorter male. In an instant, Vlad had shoved him to the side and bolted out of the room. 

Danny realized he was trying to grab the present before him and immediately sprinted out after him. He quickly started flying down the stairs past Vlad and stuck out his tongue.

"You little cheater!" Vlad cried after him, beginning to fly after him.

Danny skidded to a stop in the living room, tripping over his own feet as he reached out for the present. Vlad shot directly over him, snatching the present from his hands and holding it up triumphantly.

"Ha!" Vlad exclaimed, holding the gift over his head.

Danny laughed, getting to his feet and jumping for the box. Vlad still stood taller than him by quite a bit, despite how much he had grown. He stood on his toes, reaching for the present. He leaned one hand again Vlad's chest as he jumped for it again.

Vlad looked down on him, grinning widely. "Ah, ah, ah!" He chided, holding it further above his head and feeling genuinely gleeful. He observed the boy standing in front of him.

Daniel had matured in these four years they had known each other. He was taller, broader, more muscular. He wore a delighted grin on his face as he looked up at Vlad, standing on the tips of his toes. His face was slightly flushed from racing to the living room. Vlad's eyes softened as he admired him, examining his fluffy mass of raven-colored hair. His baby blue eyes gleamed with excitement. Vlad smiled gently. _He's rather adorable._

He stopped. Adorable? No, Daniel was an immature and obnoxious adult. He was his rival! Besides, Daniel only regarded him as a monster. His stomach dropped at the thought. _That's right._ The other halfa only saw him as a heartless villain. Someone empty. Someone without morals. Someone who didn't _care_. He slowly lowered his arm.

Danny noticed as the previously thrilled look on Vlad's face faded into a cold, distant expression. "Vlad?" He asked, concerned. He leaned back down on his feet, lowering his reaching arm. He was still unconsciously leaned against Vlad's chest with one arm.

Vlad pushed the box into Danny's hands. "Just take the present." He mumbled, moving away from the teen. He made his way out the door, simply stating that he needed to leave. He shut it quietly behind him.

Danny stood alone in the living room, completely baffled. What happened? Things were going well. Why did he leave?

His mom peeked her head around the corner. "Who was at the door?"

He jolted upward, looking at her nervously. She must not have known Vlad was here, which was good. "Just, uh, a delivery man. Got a package." He shrugged, holding up the box and hoping she would believe him.

She nodded, dipping back around the corner.

He sighed in relief. His mom didn't need to know that Vlad had just been here. He turned into Phantom, flying to a nearby roof to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vlad is allowed to be happy for ten (10) seconds, no more. He has self-esteem issues :)))
> 
> Nice (mostly) fluffy chapter for y'all! I've decided to split this lil segment into two parts cuz one, it's a lot easier on me to both edit and write lmfao, and two, I want it to last longer! I wanna be able to write freely for both of em.
> 
> -cough-I'malreadyworkingonthenextchapter-cough-
> 
> Also just uhh a lil reminder that this isn't just mindless porn?? I'm going for a story here. Sometimes there's gonna be filler. Sometimes there's gonna be life scenes. Sometimes it might seem boring to people. It's not just "heehee pp, heehee boys." Just wanted to get that off my chest. 👉👈


	9. Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time it comes with art!

This was a problem. Danny's feet tapped lightly against the roof as he landed on a randomly chosen building in town. He sighed deeply, sitting on the edge of the roof so his feet dangled in the open air. 

Everything was so confusing right now. Since his birthday, his life had been a whirlpool of emotions. It seemed like Danny had no time to just... think. He sighed again. His mind was in turmoil. 

How was he supposed to handle this situation with Vlad? The man was his enemy. He was evil. Vlad only cared about his own personal gain. He would do anything to help himself without remorse or acknowledgement of the harm he caused.

Danny's brows furrowed.

Then what was with this new side to him?

Recently, Vlad had been caring. He'd been gentle, understanding, even patient. At least, more patient than usual with Danny. He had helped Danny through the recent situations, despite how uncomfortable it may have been for both of them. Why was Vlad being so understanding? Danny just didn't get it. The boy leaned into his hands, covering his face. He sighed again in frustration.

Danny knew how to handle Plasmius. He knew how to deal with the _evil_ Vlad. This odd kindness, this gentleness, it was completely throwing him off. Hell, they had played keep-away less than half an hour ago! Normally he had to worry about Vlad beating the shit out of him, not _refusing to give him a present_!

The present. Vlad had gotten him a _present_. Danny removed his hands from his face. _Vlad doesn't give_ ** _presents_** _._ That's just how it was. Vlad was supposed to be _heartless_! The halfa growled in frustration, utterly confused.

He turned around, remembering he had brought the present with him. He held it in silence for several moments before gently untying the delicate ribbon. It felt wrong to try and tear apart the gift like he would on any other occasion. He slid the lid off the box and was faced with very fancy, sparkly tissue paper. He carefully lifted it before his jaw dropped in shock.

In the box rested a Nintendo Switch.

Vlad got him a Switch.

_What the fuck?_

He vaguely remembered making a side comment about his parents spending their money on ghost materials rather than important things like technology while he and Plasmius had been fighting. Vlad had been sneering about his endless wealth, trying to bribe Danny. The boy had made a comment along the lines of, "What, are you trying to tempt me with a Switch?"

Vlad had remembered a single snarky comment during an insignificant battle.

Danny blinked, still trying to process. He felt a tug of guilt in his chest, recalling his harsh thoughts about the man earlier. He was still completely baffled, confused as to why _Vlad fucking_ _Plasmius_ would go this far. He ran his hands through his hair, feeling increasingly distressed. _Vlad doesn't do apologies! He doesn't do emotions! He doesn't do_ ** _caring_** _!_ He thought to himself angrily. 

Why did Vlad have to make this so confusing for him?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Vlad was sulking.

He wouldn't admit that, of course, but he was sulking. He sat in his library in one of the more secluded corners, curled up in one of the plush lounge chairs. He had a cup of tea settled on the side table next to him, and a comforting blanket wrapped around his legs.

The man was completely lost in thought, a dark expression on his face. One arm was crossed tightly over his chest. He sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. He took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Now is _not_ the time for an episode," he murmured half-heartedly to himself. He moved his hand to cover his mouth and leaned against it, curling his legs closer to his chest. His mind was raging with thoughts of self-doubt and loathing.

He already knew he wasn't a good man. He knew nothing he did could change his past. He couldn't change the mistakes he had made. Why try to fight it? He was already enough of a monster. What was some more damage here and there?

Daniel's opinion of him wouldn't change anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over a month had passed since the two halfas last interaction. 

Danny Phantom was making his usual patrol sweep when he spotted the familiar vampiric ghost. The man was lurking near the train tracks, just pacing. He didn't seem to be planning anything. He was just... there. He was pacing up and down the tracks, brows furrowed and one hand on his chin as if he was deep in thought.

Danny slowly descended, still unnoticed by the older man.

"Vlad?"

The halfa actually jolted and swung around to face Danny. "Ah--"

"What are you doing?" The boy asked curiously.

"I'm..." Vlad looked down. "I'm... pacing."

Danny stifled a laugh. "Yes, I can see that." The two simply stared in awkward silence for several moments. "So..." He chuckled. "I didn't really think this through. I don't have any conversation topics tonight."

Vlad was avoiding eye contact. He looked... timid. He had one arm over his chest and holding his other arm. "Ah, yes. Well..."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Are you, um, alright?" It felt odd to ask his rival about his condition, considering most of the time they were _causing_ each others ailments. He was genuinely concerned, he'd never seen Vlad like this. He knew the man as confident and assured, maybe stuck up. Not... this. Vlad looked despondent. 

Vlad scoffed and hunched his shoulders. "I don't see why you should care," he spat bitterly. Danny blinked in surprise. The man continued, "There's no reason to concern yourself with my wellbeing."

The boy shrugged. "Well, you've been helping me out a bunch lately. It's only fair to try and be a bit more, I don't know, understanding? Let me help you too."

Vlad tensed and threw one arm to the side, hissing, "I don't _need_ your help! I can't begin to comprehend why you would have possibly come to _me_ for assistance! I'm a _villain,_ Daniel! You know I'm dangerous!" He panted, dropping his hands to his sides and clenching his fists. "I could have hurt you." They both fell into silence.

Danny halted before breaking the silence.

"Since when did you care?"

Vlad flinched and lowered his head.

The younger halfa didn't mean for his words to sound so spiteful. He raised his hands and fumbled with his words. "Shit, wait, that's not what I meant. I just-"

The other ghost raised his head and glowered, eyes glowing bright red. "We both know exactly what you meant. You're right. I don't care." He snarled before grabbing the corner of his cape, pulling it up toward him, and vanishing in a puff of pink smoke.

"Shit." Danny sunk to the floor and held his head in his hands. "You literally _just_ said you were going to be more understanding!" He groaned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vlad appeared in his kitchen with a small pillar of pink smoke. He should've known going to Amity Park was a mistake. Especially in his current condition. He leaned against one of the polished counters, covering his face with his arms. He'd intended to have a conversation with Daniel, but hadn't expected the boy to find him first. He wasn't prepared.

Daniel's words cut like knives. Vlad didn't deserve the teen's help. He knew he shouldn't be so sensitive. He wasn't usually like this. He'd convinced himself that he was a strong man with impenetrable defenses. He couldn't let himself show signs of weakness. He focused on steadying his shuddering breaths before raising his head and straightening his back. He was strong.

He took a deep breath before fixing himself a small but high-calorie snack. He needed to treat himself. He retreated to his office, determined to lose himself in his work. At least that way he could ignore the thoughts prodding at his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave Danny a Switch cuz I got a Switch for my birthday and I've been playing Animal Crossing nonstop
> 
> Also I've decided that Vlad needs to be a lot more traumatized by his accident than he ever shows :) This chapter may feel a lil OOC for him but listen, listen, listen: this hunk o' silver fox clearly has some issues. I mean, in Kindred Spirits do you see how Vlad has just snapped? He's got some shit going on, ok. Get that man a therapist.
> 
> ALSO due to the overwhelming support I've gotten on this story, I've decided to treat ya with some art I made of my favourite scenes! Hopefully that'll make up for this week's short chapter! Please don't use my art for anything or repost it anywhere :) It's of some of the antics from previous chapters!


	10. Conversation

Danny returned from his evening patrol, phasing into his room with a sigh. He silently returned to his human form, being careful not to make too much noise and wake his parents. He flopped onto his bed, closing his eyes. He reopened them and stared at the ceiling covered in glow-in-the-dark stars. 

He couldn't stop thinking about the interaction with Vlad. Once again, he managed to fuck things up. It had been over a month since he and the man had spoken, or even seen each other, and Danny managed to make things worse. He pressed his hands against his face and groaned. "There was _clearly_ something wrong with him! Why am I so damn insensitive?" He whispered to himself. He considered going to visit Vlad, but decided against it. He probably didn't want to see Danny anyway.

He turned onto his side and pulled a blanket over him. He sighed again, trying to calm his mind. He felt guilty. He'd mocked Vlad's mental health on numerous occasions without a second thought. He didn't know the man was capable of looking so despondent.

Then there was the question of why Vlad was there in the first place. His mansion was in Wisconsin, so what was he doing in Amity? He looked like there was something on his mind, and Danny had driven him off. With thoughts plaguing his mind, the halfa finally drifted into a restless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny woke the next morning to repeated phone calls from both Sam and Tucker. He finally awoke while his phone was ringing. He brought it to his ear, mumbling a groggy, "Hello?"

" _DANNY_!" The voice on the other side screamed. "You moron! You're supposed to text us when you finish patrol so we know you're not dead or kidnapped or worse! You scared the shit out of us! Tuck and I were about to come over." Sam's stern voice scolded from the other side.

Danny rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Shit, yeah. Uhh, stuff happened and I forgot to text you guys. Sorry." He murmured with a yawn. "I'd... like to keep busy today, you guys up for some Nasty Burger this afternoon? We can eat and then relax at the park or something."

Sam's voice softened. "You wanna talk about something, huh? Yeah, we'll be there. Only because we're such good friends." She teased lightly.

"Thanks, Sam." Danny said softly before hanging up. He leaned back in bed, letting his arms flop above his head. It was late in the morning, as he had slept through all his alarms. With a sigh and a grunt, he swung himself out of bed and stretched. If he was going to meet his friends on time, he should quickly shower and get dressed.

Danny made his way to the bathroom and undressed, turning the shower on and allowing it to heat. He stepped in and ran his hands through his raven hair. 

He couldn't stop thinking about the way he'd always treated Vlad. He kept trying to convince himself that Vlad was a villain so it didn't matter. Vlad had never cared before, so why should now be any different? But Danny had also never seen him that vulnerable before. The man he knew was a self-confident, pompous billionaire. And recently, he'd been oddly considerate. Danny couldn't help but feel guilty for mocking Vlad in the past after seeing him so on edge the night before.

After thoroughly rinsing his hair of the shampoo, he stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. He'd spent much more time in there than he initially thought. He wrapped a towel around his waist and retreated back to his room to get dressed.

He didn't feel like putting effort into an outfit, so he grabbed the first clothes he saw. He just slipped on some sweats and a black hoodie. He grabbed a few bucks and shoved them in his pocket, ready to meet up with his friends.

He made his way downstairs and yelled into the basement to let his parents know he was leaving. With that, he left the house and ran down the street until he reached the Nasty Burger.

Sam was already waiting at the front. She waved at him, smiling. "Hey, Danny! Tucker is on his way, he said we can just grab a booth and he'll find us." Danny nodded, and they both entered the building.

Tucker arrived shortly after, joining them at the booth. "Jesus, Danny. You look like shit." He stated, sliding into his usual spot.

"Gee, thanks." Danny rolled his eyes and smirked. They each ordered their food and sat momentarily in silence.

"So... what's up, Danny? You look exhausted. There's something you wanna talk about, right?" Sam pried. She leaned forward on her arms.

Their milkshakes arrived first. Danny grabbed his and swirled the straw in it, not saying a word. He took a long gulp and hesitated before finally stating, "I ran into Vlad last night."

His friends straightened their backs. "Are you okay, man? Did he do something?" Tucker asked before taking a swig of his milkshakes, completely disregarding the straw. Sam only had a glass of water, which she took a small sip of. She had a tendency of being overly aggressive when it came to Vlad, so she tried to stay silent until she knew more.

Danny shook his head. "No, nothing happened to me. If anything, it seemed like something happened to _Vlad._ He wasn't hurt or anything but he looked... worried." He idly stirred his milkshake.

"One of his plots probably went wrong," Sam muttered under her breath.

"It was different, Sam. It wasn't a _stressed_ look! It was- I don't know how to describe it. He just looked, I don't know... timid? Or nervous?" Danny continued. 

Tucker choked on his drink. "Vlad being timid? Are you sure this wasn't a fever dream, Danny? We all know you overwork yourself sometimes, dude." He chuckled, earning a huff from his friend.

Danny shook his head again. "There wasn't any hint of aggression, so I... went down to check on him. He actually _flinched_ when he saw me. I was honestly a little concerned about him so I asked if he was alright and he just snapped. Told me that there was no reason to care about his wellbeing. I said something inconsiderate and then he ran off." He sighed, turning his head to the side. "I just... feel like I drove him away."

Tucker hummed before pointing his straw at Danny. "Why should you care? It's not like Vlad has cared about _your_ wellbeing before." Sam nodded in agreement.

He rested his head in his palm. Before his eighteenth birthday, Danny would've thought the same. However, Vlad had been nothing but considerate and helpful recently. He even put up with Danny's bullshit while he was in heat. He sighed, "That's exactly what I thought. Things have been different though!" He threw out his hands dramatically, almost smacking someone else's food out of their hands.

Sam sighed and said as gently as she could, "Danny... I know you want to see the best in the situation, but this could just be some manipulation tactic. Vlad always has some sort of ulterior motive."

Danny hands went limp. "I know, but recently he's been... really understanding." He blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck, recalling the assorted events that had occurred between them. As he withdrew, his hand lingered on one of the spots where Vlad had bitten him.

Sam noticed and raised an eyebrow. She was about to point it out when he continued. 

"I still think he's a frootloop. I know he can't turn around and change his ways so easily but seeing him like that made me think. I mean, what if I could help him, I don't know, see the faults in his ways?" He chuckled nervously. "It sounds dumb, but maybe I could talk to him."

Tucker shrugged and looked at Sam while slurping down the rest of his milkshake. Their orders arrived and were placed in front of each member of the trio. Once their depressed-looking waiter left, the goth spoke up.

"Danny, you know I don't trust Vlad. But I trust _you._ I know in the past I've been really, really stubborn about trust." She smirked. "We're your friends. I'll let you make whatever call you think is best, but if something goes wrong, I'm not gonna coddle you." Tucker nodded in agreement through a giant mouthful of his burger.

Danny laughed, picking up a fry and chewing it slowly. "I'm counting on it. Thank you." They both smiled softly at each other. "Then I've decided, I'll talk to him soon. I'll be careful."

"I still think you're not quite right in the head," Tucker mumbled, crumbs of food scattered around his mouth. He swallowed. "But we're your friends, not your parents!"

The raven-haired teen breathed a sigh of relief, taking a bite of his own burger. He'd been worried that his friends would object, but they proved to be as supportive and understanding as always. With the serious conversation out of the way, the trio was free to eat and joke around in peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late and short but first of all I stayed up too fucking late at night forcing myself to make this chapter and I hated every minute of it, I know it's mediocre at best. I didn't even bother proof-reading, I was so sick of writing. Just sum slice o' life stuff and thoughts as filler, and I fucking loathe writing that kinda shit. Criticism and tips are HELLA welcome for how I can improve this!! Please lemme know!!
> 
> Second of all, there will not be an update next week as I will be on vacation in the w o o d s! Sorry about that!
> 
> THIRD of all, I'm starting another new story (sue me) that I'll be collaborating on with my girlfriend! It's about Vlad returning to Earth 10 years after Phantom Planet, and it's based off Butch's 10-Years Later future Vlad. It'll feature lots of art by me, my girlfriend, and possibly friends!

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know what you think! Again, first time trying out an actual fanfiction :) Huge thanks to my friend Anthony for beta reading!


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